****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
My favorite price/performance rice cooker (T-Fal) stopped working so I had to find a new one. Always have used standard ones - this would be the first time using an induction type rice cooker. Overall, I'm just OK with this machine. It makes rice as it should but not better nor faster than any others I have used. It takes about 20-25 minutes to make 3 cups of uncooked rice. In fact subjectively, I feel that the rice comes out slightly softer than the T-Fal or Zojirushi NS-TSC18 using the same rice/water amount. Some observations... I use a rice cooker for many types of cooking in addition to rice. I like making rice porridge, casseroles containing chicken legs/thighs, very tender baby back ribs, etc. I like using the cookers because it's almost no supervision - just setup, cook and then serve.With the Crux, the settings are not as versatile as the others I use. Sometimes I need to cook at a setting for a much longer time and this particular one can't do it - the time is always limited depending on the dish setting on the touch panel. The manual is not that good. It doesn't explain the individual settings so I have been left guessing how each mode works. For example, there is no specific MEAT setting. So I have been using MULTI COOK. Well, there's no explanation what this means. I like the OATMEAL setting to cook my Rice Porridge, but the maximum time I can get it to work is an hour at a time (even though I prefer to cook it overnight for 4 hours). In the end it works - but with a bit more input from the user as I'll have to do 2 or 3 cycles to make it the way I want it.Another thing that is misleading - almost every single rice cooker mentions the rice capacity as UNCOOKED CUPS. Well, for the CRUX, it says 20 COOKED cups (and the "cooked" designation is not in the title but rather inside the description on Amazon. Why are they using a different measuring method? To confuse the buyer that they are getting a larger capacity unit? I thought I was getting something bigger but ended up being the same as every other cooker that I have used (which is 10 cups - uncooked).Third, I really do not like the lid latch. You have to push at the EXACT pressure in order to get it to open. Press too hard or too softly, the lid latch doesn't disengage and open up. Actually the design is a bit counterintuitive. Since the button is "on top" of the lid, if you push down on the button, you are technically pushing the lid down to close it. With all other cookers, the button is actually next to or below the lid so that no matter how hard or soft you are pressing on it, you are not affecting the lid too. It looks cool but in actuality, doesn't work as intended. This is probably my biggest gripe - something so simple ends up making a lot more complicated.In the end, I bought this because for the price. It's really affordable for an INDUCTION model. However in real practice I actually prefer what I've always used - a standard heat plate rice cooker. These gimmicks they put on the models these days don't really make rice and dishes cook any faster or better. I'm actually reviewing this cooker after 4 months because I want back what I used before and keep this one for a backup.Easy way to cook rice. Definitely worth the purchase.esperó que sea más fácil de usarI love it. It does what I want it to do. It’s great. It goes off when it’s ready which I love so I don’t have to keep looking to see if it’s ready like my last rice cooker. I finally noticed what everyone said about this rice cooker. It isn’t 12 cups. Maybe it can fit 12 cups of uncooked food. But not cooked. I put four cups of rice in here once and when it was ready the rice cooker was completely filled to the brim. Imagine if it actually out 12 cups to cook in here??? Yikes. But I honestly don’t need 12 cups of rice anyway. 4 was my max and that was because I had guests and was still too much. So this isn’t a problem for me. If you actually need more than four cups I would suggest a different rice cooker. I noticed the stars asked about a timer function. What timer function? There isn’t one displayed. Every variation has a different time but there isn’t a way to figure that out. You just hear the ring when it’s ready and that’s it. So I typically put my food in there at least an hour before I plan on eating to ensure it’s ready in time. But I love this thing. It cooks everything and it cooks it well. If it comes out dry it’s on you. You probably didn’t add enough water. I do quinoa, jasmine rice, couscous, yellow rice, brown rice, the works in here and everything comes out perfect. It’s super easy to clean. And comes with everything you need from the measuring cup to the scoop even a scoop holder.I am a busy mom of 3 adult children working, living and studying from home. I am working part-time out of the home (thankfully), and am always wondering where the food goes while I am at work. The solution I have come up with is to cook ahead and try to stay ahead of the game. I have always tried to use a crockpot when I can, but the thought of dragging that heavy piece out of the cabinet and then having to clean it, just doesn’t seem worth the effort. The Crux Rice steamer is a perfect solution for me. I have created a permanent spot on the counter for this appliance because I find that I will use it frequently. Don’t let the name rice cooker fool you. While it cooks rice to PERFECTION and takes the guesswork out of making it, by having different settings for different types of rice, it is also a great slow cooker. I had a pot roast meal in the cooker in 10 minutes, pressed the slow cook button in the afternoon, shut the lid and dinner was ready in a few hours, warming until it was time to eat. The pot is just large enough to fit the meat, or any other meal you want to make. Did I mention the GREAT DESIGN? It’s a sleek and clean looking appliance. Clean up was also simple. I would like to see a feature added where you could choose between a longer and shorter period of slow-cook, as with traditional crockpots, but it is not a game changer. This is a very useful appliance with a very attractive look and super easy to use and clean. I also liked how you could cook an entire dinner in it by using the steamer basket on top of the pot for veggies or protein. I am excited to try many different recipes with my new Crux cooker!It’s a bit bulky but I use it for both rice and pastaI loved the versatility and easy clean-up. I recommend this productIt say 12 cups can cook this rice cooker I was amazed then when I received I was confused cuz I said why too small and I tried to use and can cook only 5 cups. Oh totally lie!
